Storms (D.A.)
Storms. The wind howled and beat furiously against the mountain. All around it, trees bent and swayed, thrashing and withering terribly. I grumbled, storms. Almost all week, storms. I glance boredly around the cave. I meet eyes with the deep indigo dragonet across from me. I wave at her. Noticing this she flicks her eyes momentarily up from her scroll, glares at me, then continues reading. Ugh. “Oh come on Firefly, won’t you do something, anything, fun?” She looks up at me again then rolls her eyes. I sigh, this is going to be a long day. I mean, with all the adults out with a meeting with the Queens, I thought it’s be great, but apparently some dragons didn’t have a decent drop of fun in their veins I give the RainWing-NightWing dragoness an incredulous look, she just sticks her black tongue out at me. The torches, flickered dimly, casting eerie shadows dancing about and over my green talons. “Ok, plan B.” I look around at the other nine dragonets in the room most of them hybrids. Reckless, the large SkyWing-MudWing hybrid was sprawled out beneath a glowing torch, the flames lit her red clay and black diamond shaped scales. I walk over to her and poke her side with my talon. Her blue eyes opened # “W-what? Oh, hey Whelk” she smiled, yawned, then shifted her talons and rolled over. Her eyelids flickered closed. Ok. I glance over at two other dragons to the left of me. They were playing a game of talons and claws, loudly. Chakra and Saleh, the Sand-Night hybrid siblings. Chakra, the dust grey-sand colored elder sibling, was looming mischievously over the game board. His black eyes fixed on Saleh’s every move. Saleh, the younger, shimmery gold-black dragoness, cocked her head looking pensive. The sapphires on her long silver earrings twinkled and glittered as she moved. She stayed there, her own deep green eyes, deeply concentrated, she swished her tail. # “Aha!” she suddenly blurted out causing Chakra to lose balance and crash down on the board, game pieces littering the stone floor. Reckless snapped her head up # “I-I wasn’t asleep Starflight, please continue on your” she yawned “boring lecture” her head collapsed back onto her forearms and she began to snore again. Firefly didn’t even glance upward. I look over to the other side of the room. A pale, silver and purple dragoness was hunched over a black scroll, which she was filling with strokes of her quill. While a purple and black, dragonet with silver freckles down his snout and neck, was watching her intently. All while a bored, orange-beige dragonet was laying down, his wings covering his face. I slip closer to them. Sinew, the bored and antisocial Sky-Sand hybrid, he let out a hiss as I walk by him. Foreshadow, the awkward, but whip-smart NightWing who was desperately in love with Starspiral, and Starspiral, the Rain-Night hybrid and the dragoness Foreshadow was desperately in love with. I sit next to Starspiral my wing sweeps against her own, I notice Foreshadow shrink a little. # “Um, so, whatcha drawin’?” I ask her. She looks up at me, “Oh, hi Whelk, didn’t see ya there. I’m drawing Mom and Dad” she says her sapphire blue eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. # “Cool” she smiles I look at the mural. It shows a large, bright pink, male RainWing, next to a beautiful, black, and light blue female NightWing. They were sitting there smiling up at the admirer, both with their tails twined and with the rainforest, teaming with colors, behind them. # “I-its beautiful” I stammer she grins shyly. The galaxies of iridescent, reds, greens, blues, and gold flush with a swirl of pink at her ear frills, and on her wing membranes. # “Thanks”. I also notice Foreshadow glance hopelessly at his foretalons. I feel slightly guilty, I was just friends with Starspiral, well, best friends, but he didn’t know that. # “So, um Foreshadow, ya seen Star’s drawing yet?” he shakes his head, # “Well, don’t you wanna?” he looks at me wide-eyed, then he slowly slid next to us. # “Wow, Starspiral, y-you’re really talented” he says softly. She smiles, her frill changes into a happy marigold. # “Thanks!” she chirps brightly, and she pulls him into a hug. For a second I thought Foreshadow was going out pass out from happiness. I bet if he was a RainWing he’d be bright fuchsia. She let go and smiled. “Whelp, I’ve gotta go get more ink, see ya guys” then she dashes out the room like an over-zealous, rainbow colored dragonfly. Foreshadow stood there, his mind seemed to be drifting pleasantly in oblivion. Starspiral themed oblivion. # # I slowly make my way the shadowy part of the huge room. I could make out the shapes of three dragons. One, slowly sharpening some glowering ominous looking blades, another hunched behind her, and the third was positioned far from the others and was scribbling on a scroll. The thin, wiry, and long-legged, beige, grey, and dusty red dragoness was Coyote. A Sand-Sky, IceWing hybrid. Her ear flicked and she looked in my direction, her head cocked a few times before she finally set on where I was standing. And flash from a nearby torch illuminated the reason why. Her eyes, one disturbingly obsidian and the other a milky white. Her blind eye. She snorted indignantly then continued to scrape the smooth stone across the blades which she fitted into the pouches of her forearms. # “U-uh, Coyote” I near her she glances sideways, her ruff of horns down her neck and back rattled as she spoke. “Yes, Whelk?” She fixed on me with her steely eyes. And I grimaced and stepped backwards, not-knowingly stepping on the crouching dragon’s tail. # “Gack!” he screamed flopping forward and I get hit by bright jade and yellow wings. “Ah! Cascade! What are you doing?” I snap at him rubbing the place where his wings hit my snout. # “Whoops” he flashes in Aquatic, I just shake my head. Coyote answers my question. # “He was trying to tie my ankles together so I’d trip. I knew he was there I was just making it easier to get him when I was done” she said dryly motioning to a thin silver wire that looped around her back talons and into Cascade’s own. # “Um” he stutters incredibly nervous, then quicker then quicksilver he darts out of the cave “catch me if ya can!” he yells on the top of his lungs. Coyote chuckles, gently sets her blades down. Then flicking her black tongue through her teeth she briskly stalked behind the terrified but gleeful Rain-Sea dragonet. I laugh, then step closer to the last dragonet. I didn’t need to think twice to recognize her, Whalebone, my little sister. The author. Mom said she got it from our Grandma, Coral, or as everyone else knows her, Queen Coral. # # # # Thirty minutes passed through my talons like fine, dry sand. By then Starspiral had come back with more ink, Coyote had chased Cascade around the school, Saleh had beaten Chakra at three more rounds of talons and claws, and I had nearly died from boredom. Everything was normal. Nerve-rackingly boring normal. All the other dragonets seemed to either be sprawled out in angsty puddles or doing some activity, via a game, writing, or drawing. I was about to randomly wander about the halls of Jade Mountain but a sudden, sharp rap at the school’s main door stopped me in my tracks. Everyone looked up from what they were doing, which was mostly nothing anyway. They all seemed curious or alarmed, all but Coyote. The hybrid’s ears shot upward and her glistening mismatched eyes widened. # “I-I’m just going to go get something from my cave”. She said, her face a placid mask of unreadable ice. But her manner was worried and twitchy. She was a very good liar, but I could tell she was hiding something. She slid the blades into their pouches then slithered out of the room. The only dragons that seemed to be suspicious of her were Star, who gestured me to follow Coyote, and Whalebone, who padded behind her silently. I followed my sister. Her dark blue, luminescent stripes illuminating her face, many strands of pearls adorning her scales, and most of all her worried expression. Not too far ahead the sound of the crackling thunder, and the sharp clips of Coyote’s talons echoed around the halls and back, eerily. Then another slam against the nearing door sounded. Whalebone’s muscles tensed, so did mine. “Both of you. Quiet, don’t move a muscle!” Coyote yelled quietly Whalebone and I exchanged alarmed glances, Coyote just sighed. “Your webbed talons are notoriously noisy” She hissed at us motioning to follow, we did, warily. We neared the large, wooden door. The storm raging furiously outside it. Coyote fiddled with lock for a second then with a click, she opened it. Drenched in the rain, dripping wet, the large figure of a dragon was visible. And a flash from a bolt of lightning illuminated him. A cloaked dragon, the only part of his body clearly seen were his ebony black snout and tail. Definitely a NightWing. “Come” she said hurriedly, the dragon nodded then slipped inside losing the cloak in the process. I could now see he was muscular, and wiry with gold bands around his throat and horns. He was about Coyote’s age, he had a slightly worried yet amused look to him despite Coyote’s disdainful scowls at us. And he didn’t even seen alarmed that two royal SeaWings were giving him suspicious glances. “Equinox. Did you bring it?” Coyote asked sweeping the cloak into her arms. The NightWing frowned, his green eyes flickering towards Coyote’s own black-white ones. # “Um, not exactly” he said with a sigh. # “WHAT?! You were supposed to retrieve the” she paused mid-snap looking at Whalebone and I then back to the NightWing. She growled softly, “The item, what happened?” Equinox shifted his talons uncomfortably, # “Well, I sort of ran into a few, complications” he started. # “Well fix them, or else!” Coyote hissed she flung the cloak at him, which fell at his talons, he sighed then picked it up, pulling it back over his large, purple black body. # “Wish me luck” he said reaching for the door, he stopped hesitantly glancing back at Coyote as if waiting for something. She growled, swishing her tail pensively. # “Fine I’ll go!” she snarled, Equinox smirked. # “What about Tsunami Jr. and Fishbreathe here?” he asked flicking his tail towards myself and Whalebone. I glared at him, mildly offended, he didn’t look phased. # “I trust them, for now” she hissed violently I noticed Whalebone was hidden in the shadows looking petrified. I patted her tail reassuringly, she didn’t look reassured though, just pale. “Well, you coming?” Asked Coyote I looked at her, to Equinox # “First, where are we going?” I prodded. She sighed impatiently. # “To the Scorpion Den” Equinox answered, pools of water formed at his talons. I glare at them suspiciously # “Why?” # “We’re searching for something, something important” Coyote stepped closer taking my webbed talons into her own, disturbingly cold, serrated ones. # “What kind of thing?” # “An animus touched artifact, well, artifacts to be precise. Things that were made by the animus through the years. Things that are dangerous and powerful. Those kind of things.” I nodded. She looked pleased, # “What are you going to do with them?” I heard Equinox snort, but those were sensible questions, were they not? # “We prevent bad dragons from getting them” she said as if speaking to an incompetent newly hatched. I yank away from her, growling. # “How do I know you’re not the bad dragons? And I’m four, not four weeks” Coyote sighs again, then she reaches towards a pouch on her ankle, I step back nervously. # “Here” she said producing a smooth silvery glass orb in her talons. It shimmered with ripples, like a clear, cold pool of water. I reach for it entranced. Whalebone tugged nervously at my wing but I didn’t care. Carefully, Coyote places it onto my talons, it was cold, smooth, beautiful. I looked into it, then, miraculously, with a blinding flash of blue light like the aura borealis lit the room and poured over my talons. I squinted up to see the ethereal, ghostly silhouettes of enormous blue dragons in what seemed to be alive projections of them. Two RainWings playing in the grass. A SandWing snootily examining a jewelry stand. A group of MudWings drawing pictures in the dirt. NightWings reading scrolls in a cavernous library. And a SeaWing chasing crabs and seagulls on a placid beach. I was awestruck, it felt like someone tied my talons to the floor, I couldn’t move. The largest figure, a gorgeous, see through, silver IceWing trotted forward. Her wings outstretched, and her horns rattling. She smiled gently down at the four dragonets. Coyote stepped forward smiling, her eyes glowing with an unknown emotion I’ve never seen her feel, happiness. # “This” the spectral IceWing held Coyote’s talons in her own huge, gleaming transparent ones. “This is my great-great-great-great-great-(Ah I’m losing count)-great Grandmother, Princess Shatter of the IceWings” Coyote said, still smiling, her eyes reflected the blue light. I gawked I had mountains of questions but my mouth couldn’t form words right then. It was fine, Coyote spoke for me. “She’s animus, she, and many other animus dragons enchanted their souls into this orb” she said motioning to the one in my talons, I nodded, mouth open. “See, not all animus turned evil, some were great, protectors of dragonkind” she made a dramatic flourish with her wing. # “Amazing,” I say, finally able to cough out some words. Coyote nodded, # “But something evil is slithering its way here, something that wants all this power” Coyote looked down, darkly “for itself” I found myself shuddering the cold talons of fear tiptoeing up my spine. “But Shatter and the other animus want to keep it safe, hidden, out of the reach of dark dragons. That’s where we come in” # “You mean you” Whalebone said frowning # “No, you’re part of this now” Coyote answered Whalebone snorted incredulously. # “Yes” said a musical, beautiful voice, like streams of quicksilver rushing rapidly. I look up, and I’m startled and thrilled to see the ghost dragoness speaking to us. # “It is up to you know” I notice other huge dragons, of all tribes, nodding and looking down at us. I feel honestly puny, outmatched by their greatness. # “We will help you,” rang Shatter # “But if you’re animus, why do you need us?” projected Whalebone, I wish I could hold her jaws together so she didn’t say something outrageous to the ghost animus. Shatter just smiled kindly # “Because Princess Whalebone, unfortunately there is not much we can do in the spirit realm. If we could we would have already stopped him, but as a princess we must do what’s best for others, you understand” Whalebone nodded # “So you know who he is? The villain?” Whalebone asked again. # “Yes, an old foe, who, by some fate, escaped the steely claws of death centuries ago.” Whalebone shivered. Then she flashed something in Aquatic to me # “I’m used to reading adventure scrolls, not being in them” I nodded. # “So, are ya with us?” asked Equinox unfolding his starry wings, I jumped slightly forgetting his presence since he so easily blended in with the shadows. # “Yes” I say stepping forward Coyote smiled and slid next to Equinox. Frowning, Whalebone nodded. # “Good, thank you brave heroes” Shatter’s voice rang, and echoed through the dark room, the as sudden as they appeared all of the ethereal dragons disparaged in another blinding flash of light, the ball rolls out of my talons, Coyote picks it up and slides It safely back into its pouch. My brain was doing cartwheels, trying to process what was happening, I almost didn’t notice the shocked, dark purple dragoness behind me. Starspiral. # “What!” she shrieked, her frill and underwings were an unsure pumpkin. I step towards her reaching out to explain but Coyote grabs my wrists and yanks me out the door. I flap my wings in protest, and I squint as I’m bombarded with the torrential downpour, I cover my face with my wings and make out the figure of Equinox dragging out Whalebone, who seemed to be snapping and hissing at him. # “Whelk!” I hear Star scream, I can barely see her dark, slim silhouette against the sheets of rain, her wings were white with terror. I hear wingbeats and reliaze Coyote was dragging me into the sky. Her large, hybrid wings beating vigorously. I struggle, wingbeats, and thunderclaps rattled my skull. Beads of raindrops slide down my face and neck, blurring my vision and stinging my eyes. I thrash my tail, struggling against Coyote’s strong grip, but’s it futile. I’m being yanked off into the stormy sky. Starspiral flaps behind us, fighting against the wind, she gets thrown back as a gust knocks her off balance. I feel the urge to rip Coyote off of me and go help her, I try, but fail. I worry about Star, and about Whalebone who wasn’t visible anymore # “Let me go! You indecorous son of a scavenger!” I hear Whalebone hiss “You squidbrain! My mom’s gonna make you sorry for this!” she yells out, I can’t see her, but at least she’s all right. I perk my ears up, listening for Star, though I can only hear the storm and wingbeats drilling into my mind. # “Star! I’m ok, don’t worry, I’ll find you I promise!” I yell out to her, and I cross my talons for a reply. # “Whelk, you promise?” I hear her voice faintly through the chaos, a small island of safety in a raging sea of terror. # “Yes! I promise” I can hear her voice now, but not what she’s saying, it feels like were getting farther and farther away. # “Get to safety Star!” I yell, I hear another set of wingbeats and hear Foreshadow’s voice, Good, he’ll get her to safety I think, relived. I can now see Equinox, struggling against the wind, it buffets the two large dragonets wings both of them fighting against it like leaves in a hurricane. Whalebone is still screaming, # “I said let me GO!” she jerks suddenly, sinking her fangs into Equinox’s arm, he yells out in pain, accidently losing his grip, and I watch as my sister falls screaming downward. She’s flapping madly but at this rate the battering interchanging blows of the wind and rain made it impossible for her to stay upright and she plummets helplessly down like a deadweight stone. I roar and slam my wings across Coyote’s face she screams letting go, I throw her off and dive downward. Water sprays me, and an occasional bolt of lightning will light Whalebone’s descending figure. I tuck my wings in closer, gaining on her. I reach out my talons, Equinox and Coyote’s yells are now echoes in my mind. All seems agonizingly silent. I squint furiously against the downpours. The wind was great, I feel like my wings were to be ripped clean off. There she is, I can see her, spinning and dropping rapidly. I reach outward, but a sudden squall of wind lashes me backwards and I fall too. I fight against it, and pull myself upright, once again diving down. I can hear waves crashing and I look down to see the turbulent, voracious ocean roaring and thrashing below me. “No, no, no” I mutter to myself my eyes scan downward but all I see are toppling colossal waves. “Whalebone!” I scream, I hope to hear her sarcastic reply saying # “Duh, squidbrain I’m right here, now come and rescue me” but all I hear are waves. I hover there being battered this way and that. My mind is spinning, I can’t seem to focus, or hear, anything. I just stay there, claws twitching miserably. Muttering to myself “no, no, no” I feel myself being yanked upward by strong talons, Equinox and Coyote, they seem to be talking to me. Their wings collide over my jade green scales as they look worried, scared, and relieved. My mind is going super-speed. I suddenly rip away from them. “This is all your fault” I scream, they exchange worried glances. # “Whelk, I” Coyote says she reaches towards me, I withdraw. # “I’m gonna find her, I’m gonna find my sister” I scream at them. I bolt away, the waves lap at my talons as I fly directly overt them. I weave beneath them and up again. Used to their power. My head is humming weirdly, all the sounds of the two dragons terrified calls are gone. Incoherent. Silent. I keep twitching my webbed talons and thrashing my tail, muttering beneath my breath. My wings carry me, they ache but I keep going. Scanning the waves for Whalebone’s dark blue figure. Eventually, I crash down onto a sea stack my whole body cringes from exhaustion. Dripping wet, I stay there, my talons hooked onto the rocky crevices. My stomach twists into countless horrible little knots as I lay there, face to the sky. I close my eyes, my mind feels like giant wings beating and slamming into my bones. Paralyzed, I lay there. I feel wings wrap around my body and wet talons grab me. I barely open my eyes. Black and rainbow scales overlap with my own green ones. I stutter out words, my mouth and body feels cold and lifeless. # “F-foreshadow, S-s-tar” I utter. # “Whelk, don’t you dare close your eyes” snapped Star her face worried, I feel them lift my limp body. “Whalebone, s-she’s gone” I say they shake their heads # “No. She’s fine. We saw her, she’s insanely worried about you, she’s looking for you” Star told me squeezing my cold webbed talons in her own slender, curved ones. I feel like the world’s weight has been rolled off my shoulders, and I smile, as the world fades around me darkness. Darker than a NightWing’s scales. # # # # # “It’s ok, it’s ok” I shift, it’s still dark. “Its ok its ok. Oh, be ok you squidbrain, be ok” a worried voice says. I feel myself being pressed against pearls and cool scales. I immediately recognize the dragoness my eyes flittering open. # “M-mom” I say slowly # “Whelk!” she screams pulling me off the floor into a hug I look across the room, the other dragonets holding their parents talons looking worried. Whalebone is with Dad, I smile feeling happy. # “Aaaa! You’re ok!” screams Star as she wraps her wings around me. # “I was worried sick” says Whalebone as she wraps her own blue wings around me matching Mom’s. Dad pulls us all into a hug and I feel like my lungs I might explode from happiness. And pressure, I was literally being squashed. Despite being suffocated by affection I notice Coyote and Equinox were not among the others. I remembered Shatter and the animus ghosts, and how they said we had to stop an ancient evil and the feeling of when I thought Whalebone was gone. It felt real, but then like a dream. It could have been a dream, couldn’t it? Star let go of me and ran over to her parents. Jambu, the large pink RainWing, her father. Was scolding her and hugging her at the same time while Mindreader, the beautiful blue-black NightWing was wrapping her wings around her, near tears. I also saw Starflight and Fatespeaker, two NightWings, and Foreshadow’s parents, hugging him and suffocating him in scales and wings. He looked happy, and mildly embarrassed. I can relate. Clay and Peril were with Reckless, who looked confused and still sleepy. Glory and Deathbringer with Firefly. Deathbringer lecturing her on safety and self-defense while Glory chuckled, swatting his tail with her own. All the while Firefly looked humored and happy. Qibli, Moonwatcher, Saleh, and Chakra were in the far corner talking about some mysterious topic. While Kinkajou, Turtle, and Cascade were laughing about something apparently funny. Sinew had his head buried in Ostrich, his mother’s wings. While his father Flame stood over them, looking awkward but content. The only misplaced dragons were Agate and Winter who were speaking solemnly to Clay and Sunny. # “Whelk? WHELK!” Mom tapped me on the skull with her talon. I look at her, a lecture is due, I know it. “Don’t you EVER. Go flying out ALONE in a STORM. BY ALL THE MOONS! Or I literally will have Clay SIT ON YOU until you get some since into your head!” she yelled still hugging me. Knew it. Lecture. I nod and they all let go of me. I feel relieved, my lungs aren’t being squashed anymore by my family’s overprotective wings. # “Whelk I need to talk to you” Whalebone hissed into my ear and she shoves me into a corner. “That happened. Coyote and that mysterious NightWing are still missing” she whispers. “It all was real” I shake my head clearing my clustered thoughts. # “Whatever happens I’m going to have Agate and Winter ground Coyote for eternity” I growl, Whalebone chuckles and nods. # “HEY! What are you to doing disappearing into SHADOWS you’re not NIGHTWINGS!” Mom yells dragging us out into the open. Starflight, Foreshadow, and Mindreader glance our way with wide eyes. I chuckle and Whalebone shrugs laughing at Starflight’s surprised look. Mom laughs to. “Well, you both better stay out of trouble, since you’re both destined for awesome things. Queen and Headmaster” she says # “Headmaster” I repeat to myself pensively. It has a nice ring to it. As Mom pulls us off through the school Dad trailing behind us, Whalebone whispered to me. # “Shouldn’t we be worried about the whole incoming doom of animus dragons thing?” she asks I’m honestly too happy and relieved to be worried, # “Its Coyote and Equinox’s problems for now, if it’s that big a deal they would have alerted the Queens” I tell her, she smiles and nods. # “I didn’t like them anyway.” She says with an impudent snort. I laugh, everything feels back to normal. Everything except the faint realization disaster was lurking in the deepest shadows of Pyrrhia stalking like makos awaiting their prey… # # # # # # Two pairs of talons made their way through the desert heat. And deep green eyes, and one black one cautiously glanced around Scorpion Den. # “Coyote, aren’t you worried about those two dragonets?” asked the NightWing worried. The hybrid glared at him # “They’re SeaWings they’ll be fine” she snapped thrashing her long beige tail. “Well, aren’t you worried they’ll blab to the adults?” he prodded glancing sideways as a large, dusty MudWing brandished jewelry he was selling at them. # “No, they’re just dumb dragonets, who would listen to them?” she asked flicking out her black tongue. # “Um” Equinox frowned picking sand from beneath his deep black scales. “Don’t take this the wrong way Coyote, but aren’t we classified as ‘dumb dragonets’ too. I mean you’re only six, I’m seven.” She cut him off with a look full of daggers. He just sighed. “So, how much longer till we find this dragon?” he asked wiping sweat off his brow, she didn’t answer, but she did stop him with her wing. # “We don’t have to wait at all.” She said before she slithered off in the direction of some very large, laughing dragons. Outclaws. Grudgingly Equinox followed. Coyote cleared her throat “I’m here to see Adobe” she told them a matter-of-factly. A large SandWing with a mangled wing and scar down his snout snorted a laugh and elbowed the dragon next to him. # “Aye, look what we ‘ave ‘ere.” He said, grinning he looked down at her. She didn’t blink, # “I said I need to speak with Adobe” she repeated frowning. # “Aye, whadaya think Ash, should we let ‘er see Adobe?” he asked the grey-brown NightWing-MudWing hybrid beside him. Ash snorted and threw his head back laughing # “Why not?” he said chuckling. # “Tremor! This little lady wants to see Adobe!” A scrawny, and violent looking SandWing nodded then darted off through the crowds. # “So, what brings ya ere to the Den?” asked the scarred SandWing, # “Business” she retorted. # “What business?” He asked flicking his tongue through his teeth. # “None of your business” She said with a smirk. The SandWing glared at her coldly, in perfect timing though a thin, wiry, black cloaked dragoness, a bit older than Equinox stepped forward. She was surprisingly striking, with rich golden scales, black diamond patterns down her neck, and brown splotches and freckles on her snout, wings, arms, and tail. Giving her the appearance of an oversized, beautiful leopard. She was also covered head to tail with jewelry. Thick, golden bands embedded with black diamonds hung around her neck, wrists, and some around her arm. A large golden hoop glistened from her ear as she moved, while two large rubies were stabbed through the other ear. She chuckled, arching her long neck, the black sail down her head to her tail bristling. # “What’s goin on Lizard?” she asked, the large SandWing batted him away with her wing. Coyote stepped forward, while Equinox stayed behind nervously standing there like a two-dimensional shadow in the sea of golden and beige. Adobe locked her deep black eyes, onto Coyote’s own black one. She stared at her for a second. The large SandWings positioned defensively around Adobe watching her every expression. “Coyote!” she said suddenly, smiling. The SandWings look relieved, “Heatwave, Ash, Tremor, you can be excused.” The SandWings nodded then dispersed. “Come” Adobe said shortly, Coyote and Equinox exchanged worried glances. “So, yer ‘ere for ‘th treasure ar ya?” she said, smiling and waving to every dragon she passed. Coyote sped up, avoiding the long, barbed tail that slithered behind her SandWing counterpart.. # “Um, should you be speaking so loud about it?” she asked worriedly, # “Who cares?” Adobe asked with a shrug, Coyote stammered, looking exasperated, Equinox just chuckled. # “I care” she hissed, Adobe stopped, swung around and looked down at Coyote. # “Explain” she told her. Coyote nodded # “Well, this place is full of thieves, murderers, and beggars, if anyone found out tha...” Adobe grabbed her by her shoulders and slammed her against a stone wall. Her eyes darkening, # “The dragns that live ere, are, my dragns, don’t ya ever speak ill of em in my presence” she growled, her tail raised threatenly. Coyote nodded, Adobe snorted then released her. # “Are you ok?” Equinox asked helping her up # “Fine” she said dusting sand off of her shoulder. # “Why didn’t you fight back” he asked as they followed Adobe # “Because she still has the item we need, until then, we can’t do anything” she informed him, Equinox’s gaze hardened and he nodded to her. They followed her to a small, white tent hidden in the back of the shadowy parts of the Den. Equinox swallowed, then slipped inside shoulder to shoulder with Coyote. # “Ere we ar” she said with a flourish of her diamond patterned wingtip. Large wooden crates covered with white sheets encircled the room. And the heavy smell of herbs, and oils battered their senses. Equinox wrinkled his nose, while Coyote didn’t look phased. # Adobe knocked over a crate and pulled out an object heavily wrapped in a blanket. Without unwrapping it she laid it out in front of the two dragons. She eyed Coyote, getting the idea she pulled out a small, satchel out of a pouch around her neck. It jingled as she laid it in front of Adobe. Adobe glared at her, with an eye roll Coyote opened it, the shimmer of jewels, and gold coins glistened in the dim sunlight allowed through by the tent. Adobe’s talons incoherently twitched towards the bag but she didn’t touch it. But she motioned for Coyote to step closer, she did, cautiously. # “So what is ya ole deal ere, ‘yote?” Adobe asked her as she fiddled with the lock of an unopened crate. “Nothing much” She flicked her tongue out, her eye unreadable. Adobe cocked her head, and frowned. # “It’s secret, an animus mission.” Coyote said, her face an icy mask of shadow. # “Yeah, we’re fighting for all of Pyrrhia here, if Thorn or one of the Queens found out it could ruin the whole mission” Equinox finished, he snapped his jaws shut after realizing what he said. Adobe’s gaze darkened and she twisted her long neck to look at them. # “Whadaya mean if Thorn found out?” she asked her eyes became swirled with different emotions. She stepped closer, her tail writhing behind her. # “Well, if she found out it w-wouldn’t be good” Equinox stammered grabbing hold of Coyote’s wrist and pulling her back a few steps. She snapped her head at Coyote # “Is it true? What the NightWin’ speaks?” Coyote didn’t meet her eyes, and nodded. With an outraged hiss she lunged forward at Coyote who rolled out of the way. Adobe’s talons caught on the tent’s wall and she ripped it with a swipe of her long hooked claws. “I trusted you” she growled, her tail raised like a scorpion. Coyote sighed # “Well, you’re mistake” she answered. Adobe shrieked. # “Plotting with a NightWin’! Goin’ behind yer Queens’ back talkin’ about lowlifes!” she screamed smoke emitted from her mouth and curled around her horns. “You’re a good liar Yote’ I knew that, but I’m for one thing” she yelled throwing Equinox across the tent. # “And what’s that?” yelled Coyote dodging beneath Adobe’s wing. # “Second chances”. She hissed, her eyes blazing like midnight wildfires. For a split-second, the darkness in Coyote’s eye, shimmered out, she looked at Adobe, her expression shocked and regretful. # “I know Adobe” she said her head hung and her eyes at the ground, “You’re a good dragon, and I swear I’ll never bother you again.” Adobe’s expression softened. # “Are we on tha same idea now?” Coyote looked down her disturbing mismatched eyes locked in a twisted gaze to the ground. # “But I have to do this” she dove forward snatching up the wrapped item. Blinking and disoriented Equinox leapt upward flapping his wings, and both of them stormed out of the tent. # “Here!” Equinox yelled throwing the bag at Adobe’s talons. Adobe looked at it like it was the most disgusting thing in Pyrrhia. With a grimace she picked it up and threw it back at Equinox, hitting him in the back of his neck. He tripped, and fell into the sand. # “Ugh, come on idiot” Coyote growled yanking him to his talons and maneuvering through the narrow, overpopulated streets. # “Thieves! Don’t let them get away!” Adobe yelled, before they could blink Equinox and Coyote were being trailed by furious, trampling dragons. “Argh get back ere!” Adobe yelled as she ran after them, banging into the side of a cart where a small, thin SandWing was selling baskets. It dilapidated into a heap of wood and metal. Without a second glance Adobe ripped off one of her golden necklaces and threw it at the shopkeeper’s talons. “There ya can buy a betta one with that!” she yelled back to the blinking, stunned, but grateful dragoness. “Heatwave! Tremor don’t let im escape!” She roared. # “There! We can get through that alley”. Yelled Equinox pointing to a narrow alley that led out into the desert outskirts. Coyote nodded her eyes still dark and unreadable. # “Oh no ya don’t” Heatwave, the large scarred Outclaw chuckled as he cut them off. Along with Tremor, the MudWing-NightWing Ash, and a slim pale brown SandWing. Coyote growled softy her spines bristling. And with the clack of sharp talons, Adobe walked up behind them. Her face sad and disappointed. # “I really thought you’d changed ‘yote, ‘parrently I was wrong”. She said sadly, “nevertheless, you’re comin’ with me, Heatwave, Tremor, Ash, Drought bring em back to tha Den”. She snapped, turning her back to them. As they were told the Outclaws edged closer. # Suddenly Equinox leapt forward breathing fire. Catching the tip of Adobe’s cloak in a fiery blaze. “In your dreams!” At the sound of Adobe’s infuriated shrieks the two fugitives dashed off madly beating their wings. By the time Adobe had thrown off the cloak and smothered the flames, they were long gone, stretching their wings in the setting sky with the object. # “Adobe, are you alright?” asked Drought reaching to touch a large scorch mark down Adobe’s shoulder. “I’m fine” she said without taking her obsidian eyes off the cloudless, dusk skyscape. # “Think this is serious? Should I inform your mother?” Heatwave asked frowning. Adobe flicked her black tongue through her teeth. *# “Not yet, I think I know where they’re goin”… Category:Fanfictions Category:Content (Dragonarrow5767) Category:Fanfictions (Semi-Canon) Category:Fanfictions (Incomplete)